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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a match
  4. bank — for money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. court — for sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bank — of a river
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bank — for money
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. court — of a king
  21. mark — a grade
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com